International Trade

Outward processing - Export and processing of goods with a view to their re-import

Large businesses

Self-employed

SMEs

Outward processing allows EU businesses to export Community goods for processing or repair with the aim to re-import said goods into the European Union (EU).

The company will be fully or partially exempted from customs duties upon the re-import of said goods.

Resorting to outward processing requires authorisation from the Customs Department at the Customs and Excise Agency.

Who is concerned

Any business in the EU who intends to carry out processing, assembly, working or repair of Community goods outside the European Union (EU) before re-importing said goods may resort to outward processing.

How to proceed

Authorisation of outward processing

The operator must apply in writing (on plain paper) for an authorisation of outward processing to the Customs Department of the Customs and Excise Agency.

The administration will communicate the necessary information and documents required if need be.

When the authorisation is granted, the administration will issue the authorisation with predetermined deadlines and processing conditions that must be complied with.

Outward processing

The operator places the goods under the outward processing regime by stating his authorisation number in the export declaration.

The exported goods can then be processed in compliance with the provisions and deadlines set by the authorisation.

The processor of the goods may apply for an authorisation of inward processing in the country where the processing of the goods is taking place.

Re-import

In order to close the outward processing procedure, operators have to re-import the goods into the European Union.

The operator will have to pay the customs duties as applicable, i.e.:

either the differentiated charges - the operator pays the difference between:

import duty for processed goods (compensating products) at the time of their release for free circulation in the EU;

and import duty which would have been applicable at the same time for goods before their processing (temporary export goods) if they had been imported from the country where the processing took place;

or the taxation of capital gains – the operator pays the import duty in relation to the cost of processing abroad (invoice from the processor) and at the rate applicable for processed goods (compensating products).

In case the goods are not re-imported, the company does not have to file any import declaration in Luxembourg.